Record changer gear and trip mechanism



Nov., 8, 1949 w. MILLER ET AL RECORD CHANGER GEAR AND TRIP MECHNSM 2 Sheets-Shee l INVENTOR5 WALTER MILLER JAMES L.D. HOPE/SON HTTORNEY NOV- 8, 1949 w. MlLLER Erm 2,487977T1 RECORD CHANGER GEAR AND TRP MECHANSM @Med Selm., 1946 2 Sheets-Shee 2 5 /z I g f A A E I/e E I /7 r E.;

q i )d2 1N VENTO es 0 E. 4 /f' WALTER vl/.LER

,-;55 JA MES La Malek/sou B E@ f' @45M hf Patented Nov. 8, 1949 RECORD CHANGER GEAR AND TRIP MECHANISM Walter Miller and James L. D. Morrison, Benton Harbor, Mich.

Application September 4, 1946, Serial No. 694,746

(Cl. i4- 79) ,6 Claims.

The present invention relates to automatic record changers, and more particularly to the operating gear and trip mechanisms for cyclic operation of the several record changer parts in proper sequence, after one record has been played through and the tone arm has been moved to the end of its sound track. The function of this operating gear is to perform a cycle of operations by making either one complete turn or one complete oscillation during each cycle. In the oscillation form, this may be done by turning a rsector gear through a predetermined angle first in one direction, then back to the starting position.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple gear and trip means for automatic operation of the gear through one cycle each time the trip is actuated.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a reduced gear drive for a gear of the oscillating type so as to drive it from a pinion on the turntable or any other continuously operating shaft, in both directions of the oscillation to complete one cycle of operations each time it is thrown into engagement with said pinion by f.

a trip actuated in response to movement of the tone arm to within a predetermined distance from the center of the turntable corresponding t the end of the sound track on the record being played. Another object of the present invention is the provision of a sector gear having an internal gear portion and an external gear portion for meshing with a common driving pinion successively to turn said sector gear first in one direction and then automatically in the other to its starting position, whereupon the pinion is unmeshed and continues rotating freely until the sector gear is again moved into engagement therewith.

Another object of the present invention is to cyclically oscillate an operating shaft by means of a sector gear resiliently mounted on said shaft so as to have a limited amount of axial displacement thereon and having axially displaced and inclined internal and external gear portions for meshing with a common continuously rotating pinion, and means for meshing said external gear portion with said pinion at the beginning of an oscillating cycle, said gear portion being inclined axially so as to displace said sector gear until the pinion reaches the end of said external gear portion when the sector gear will spring to its normal axial position to bring the pinion into mesh with the internal gear portion of the sector gear, whereupon the section gear will be driven in the Opposite direction, the internal gear portion being likewise axially inclined so as to again displace said sector gear axially until the pinion reaches the other end of said internal gear portion when the sector gear is released to its normal position out of engagement with said drive pinion until again placed in engagement with said pinion for initiating another oscillating cycle.

Another object of the present invention is to construct a sector gear having axially inclined eX- ternal and internal gear portions for meshing with a common drive pinion, said pinion being normally in the plane of one end of one gear portion and the opposite end of the other, and having a shroud on one side of its teeth to press against the side of the external gear portion of the sector gear to keep the engaged gear portion in mesh with it to the end of each portion, said sector gear being mounted on its shaft for resilient axial displacement of its gear portions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gear for cyclical operation through one complete turn from a continuously rotating pinion, which gear will stop in a position where its teeth are cut away so as to prevent meshing with said pinion, and which may be readily meshed for initiating a cyclic operation upon slight turning of the gear by extraneous trigger means.

Other and more specic objects will become apparent in the following detailed description of illustrative forms of the device based on the present invention, having reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein;

Figure 1 is a partial plan View of a record changer wherein one form of the present device, comprising a dual sector gearis used,

Figure 2 being a sectional view thereof,

Figures 3 to 7 are detailed views of the sector gear, and

Figure 8 is an illustrative form of a rotating type of gear which might be used for other types of record changers requiring a complete revolution of the operating gear for one cycle of operation of its parts.

The usual operations required by a record changer is to start the operating gear, whatever its form may be, when the tone arm has reached the end of the sound track on the record being played, whereby to perform the following functions in sequence; raise the needle end of the tone arm, swing the tone arm outside the periphery of the record on the turntable, change the record on the turntable, swing the tone arm so as to bring the needle to its starting position over the new record, and lower it to the soundtrack. This cycle of operations may be carried by various forms of mechanism through an operating gear which may either be oscillated through a predetermined angle or turned through a complete revolution in one direction to perform this series of functions through intermediate mechanisms which form no part of the present invention.

The novel form of gear and trip mechanism herein disclosedgfor carrying out acycle of operations as 'mentioned'abova consists -of either a dual sector gear l having an external gear portion 8 and an internal gear portion 'l for meshing with a common drive pinion .4 on Ytheturn.- table shaft as shown in Figures `1 Ato 7, or a complete circular gear 6 such as shown in Figure 8. In either instance, the gear is vconnected :to record changer mechanism for performing the f-functions enumerated above.

In the dual sector form of gear, the internal and external gear portions 'I and 8 respectively, are axially spaced relative to each other, so that fas .one Eportion is in mesh :with the :pinion .4 :the kiotheris not, vand `'they are each axially .inclined so that, although one ,end 9 of the external gea-r iportion 8 Land vthe opposite Yend I0 -of :the ,other ;portion 'I ,are normally inthe plane of the drive pinion 4, the .other ends -I-I and =I2 -are faxially displaced in y,opposite Edirections from this plane when gthe lgear ;is in -its normal position. The gear, h owever, `is mounted for -limited axial displacement by resilient mountingmeans I3 .tend- Qing .to `Lprevent itsidisplacement -in the axial -direc- Lion. `{I he drive pinion -.4 hasashroud I4 against which lthe Fexternal gear teeth z8 -bear to maintain meshing alignment of Veither Aportions J ;or 1 8 ztherewith until the pinion-,reaches the endl o i fsaid portion whereupon the external teeth .3 Slide Off the fshroud -I-4 and permit :the gear to resume its {axially normal position Both internal and external portions I and .8 iof ,the sector ,gear I are out out at one ,end 9 :and I2) Ato permit ,free irotation of the pinion l4 When'the lgear ,I is in its `starting orinoperative `position, and the external fgear portion'is also ,cut vout at the opposite Iend -I.I to ,permit it to ,slide .oi the shroud ,I4 and allow -thge correspond- .ing .end Il) of the internal gear portion to engage the pinion 4 for the return movement of the .gear I Yto its ,starting rposition. A li'iht spring I5 may-be provided to vhold thegearal lightly against .the stop i6 in this :position ,pin ,-I f1 ystriking the proj ection El 8.

To initiate the gearopera-tion in :the .present l:disci o sure, the fpin I1 mounted on shaft I9 which is turnedin response to inward movement ofthe needle 2B on-the tone arm ,2| towards the center 22 of the ,record '2 3 being played, strikes a pro- `.ietion I8 on the cam '25 attached tojthe gear I, when the needle 28 moves Within a predeter- -mineddistance from-the oenterof the record.i23, corresponding to vthe end ofthe sound .track thereon. The vgear I fis thusmovedso as to bring .the resiliently mounted piece '26 `of Ithe external gear 8 into engagement with the pinion4. This piece 26 is lpushed back until proper mesh is 'establishedywhen it :is pushed out to .form a continuous gear with the rest of the external gear portion. As the'gear I is driven bythe pinion.4, the vshroud I4 keeps the external gear portion 8 :from running off the pinion 4 and tilts the gear vaxially against the force of the spring 'I3 until I the end of this gear portion 8 is reached, when .the shroud I4 slips off this gear .portion y8 and the internal gear `portion 1 is thrown into ,mesh with fthe pinion :to start :the .gear on its `return intimement. [During this movement, .the :internal until -moved fby l the i ythe sector gear form, when a musing appropriate cam mechanism to carry out .the necessary functions during one complete turn of -this operating gear 6. In this gear the teeth 28 are out out in one place 29 corresponding to the lstarting position to allow free rotation of the pinion 4. A spring pressed element 30 of the gear may be mounted adjacent this cut out portion 29 for engaging the pinion 4, in the same way as in projection or trip pin 3l is struck by the pin I'I on the tone arm .shaft 1 9. Alight resilient centeringgmeansgmay .be provided for holding thegear' ingits starting `posiiton ,untilthe tripping means isgactuatedrto fstartgit onits cycle.

Obvious modications in form and arrangementof parts of these devicesrmay-:be made :to

suit requirements without departing afrom the spirit and scope of this finvention fas denediin the appended claims.

'What is claimed-is:

1. A dual sector gear, adrive pinion therefore, a shroud on oneside of said rpinionsteeth, .an external gear portion and an internal :gear por tion on said sector gear for meshing with said pinion, said .gear portions being :axially spaced Vrelativeto each other andbothbeingaxiallyrinclined in thesame direction-relative to fthe :plane of the pinion, so that one endfof---one portion and g he other end of the other portion are :normally inthe plane of said pinion, both portionsfbe'in'g out out at oneendto disengage'the pinionl-and .the portion normallydisplaced from :thel'planeof said pinion being out outattheother end,'="sa"id gear being .mounted on -its yshaft for resilient lim- -ited axial displacement of `its -ou'ter end in 1response to pressure-of theshroud on said pinion bearing against one side of the teethfof fone-o`f said gear portions while saidpinion drivessaid sector gear in one directionnntil the cu't out o'f said portion is reached by the pinion whereupon the other portion is automatically 'brought into mesh with said pinion for reverse 'turning of'sai'cl gearito its starting position.

2. A dual sector gear'having axially-spaced and correspondingly inclined internal 4and external gear portions for successive meshing with acorn-- .mon drive pinionto turn the Vgear nrst inone f irocion'ilew return1 it to its starting position, said gear being resiliently mounted for limited ax1al d1splacement, means for -moving said -x- -ternal gear portion into mesh with said fpinion,

guide means to keep said meshing-engagement by displacing said gear axially until the Ypinion reaches a cut out space at'the end of saidpolition releasing said gear to assume its normal axial position .and bringing it into mesh withthe` corresponding end. of vsaid internal gear vportion;said guide means being formed solas to vkeepthis-latter meshing engagement by displacing said gear axially Yuntil the pinion -runs Vofi #the yend of 4said internal gear portion and the gear assumes its starting position.

3. `A dual sector gear :having axially spacedand correspondingly inclined internal andexternal gear portions :for Vsuccessively meshing lwith 'fa common continuously operating drive pinion, said gear being resiliently mounted on its shaft for limited axial displacement of its gear portions, said gear portions being cut out at one end to permit free rotation of said pinion when said gear is in its inoperative position, trip means for initiating operaton of said gear by moving it to bring one of said portions into engagement with said pinion, a shroud on said pinion to keep the inclined gear portion in mesh until the end of said gear portion is reached whereupon said gear portion runs off said pinion, the gear springs into its normal axial position and engages the corresponding end of the other gear portion for return movement of said gear while said shroud cooperates to keep this gear portion in mesh with said pinion to ensure the return of the gear to its starting position.

4. A dual sector gear as defined in claim 2 having a tooth section mounted in a block radially slidable in said gear at the engaging end of the external gear portion and resilient means biasing said block outwardly to hold said tooth section normally in coextensive relation with the rest of the teeth of said portion whereby to facilitate proper mesh being established without harming the teeth or causing binding.

5. A dual sector gear as deiined in claim 2 wherein one or more of the teeth iirst engaged by the pinion are yieldably mounted.

6. A dual sector gear as dened in claim 5 with a trip mechanism which causes the gear to engage the pinion by a rotating motion applied to the dual sector gear.

WALTER MILLER. JAMES L. D. MORRISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 'lo Number Name Date 326,984 Hooton Sept. 29, 1885 1,119,965 Kelly Dec. 8, 1914 1,937,326 Pick Nov. 28, 1933 

